Children and messes go hand in hand. Did you know that some types of messes can actually be beneficial for your child? Here are some of the reasons you may want to let your toddler get good and messy.
Reason 1 – It teaches Cause and Effect:
‘’Curiosity is a child’s best teacher’’ If we always intervene before kids experience the outcomes, will they learn? Messy art and messy play in a safe environment lets kids experience cause and effect.
Reason 2 – It May Improve His Health:
“Exposure to dirt helps children build strong immune systems that will provide lifelong protection.†However, you should follow rules of hygiene, teaching your child to wash his hands after playing in the mud or being exposed to germs.
Reason 3 – He’ll get to Use All His Senses:
Sensory experiences help your child understand his world better. Some kids are visual learners, some auditory learners. So try teaching (counting, identifying colors etc.,) using natural materials that involve multiple senses. If learning experiences stimulate senses, the brain is more likely to internalize what’s being learnt.
Reason 4 – Builds Motor Skills:
Often parents pick clean and non-messy toys for kids to play. The downside is that these games don’t allow for open-ended play. On the other hand, if you give your child large sheets of paper, jumbo crayons, paints he’ll get more excited and motivated to use those small hand and finger muscles. These muscles are the ones he’ll use for everything from self-feeding to buttoning to writing with a pencil. Not just this, it inspires open-ended thinking. Because if it’s messy, it is confusing and it constantly changes. It gives them a chance to think beyond boundaries
Give them guidelines to clean up the big messy zone in such a way that he feels it like a game. This can help you encourage good habits.
